Process for the extraction of tartaric salts from waste tartrous materials.



' Y and se aration' of tartaric salts from solu- I erived from treating with a dilute W chloric-acid) fol owing:.-

UNITED sTAfrns PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES VIGNEA UX, OF PARIS, FRANCE;

PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF TARTA RIC SALTS FROM WASTE TARTROUS MATERIALS.

No Drawing.

taric Salts from Waste Tartrous Materials,

which process is-fully lowing specification. This invention. relates to the extraction set forth. in the foltions mineral acid (usually hydrochloric or sullees, grounds, grape skins, and the like, containing tat-trons. compounds in the form of bitartrate of potassium and tartrate oflime.

These' materials yield asfolution containing tartaric acid, bitartrate of-potass111m,tar-

trat'e of,-1i1ne ,the' potassium and calcium saltof the acid used, an excess ofthis'acid, and impurities the'natureof which depends on the material treated. I

The presentinvention has for,

. The mainfeaturejof the improved process consists in theintroduction into thesolution referred to,-of a metal which reacts to de mineral acid efi'ects a disturbance oi this equilibrium; the uant-ity of free mineral acid consequently iminishes. There results according to the law' of displacement of 0 equilibrium (law of Guldberg and Waag,

and studies of Van ,tHoflT etc.) a reaction which tends to produce free mineral acid. This reaction is the inverse, reaction of that resultin from the treatment of the original F materia s;' by dilute acid. For exam 1e,

with bit-a'rtrate' of potassium and by roch1oric"aid,the firstre'action which occurs (when one treats the primary materials containing'bitartrateioi otassium by hydro.-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31 1912. Serial K0. 700,894.

furic acid) materials such as tartaricwineobject an improved process for the rapid and economical treatment of thissolution.

' Patented May 6, 191 3.

trate of potassium and if one used some other .mineral acid than hydrochloric acid.) 4

To produce reaction (1) one employsa' quantity of hydrochloric acid suflicient to holdin Solutionall the bitartrate contained in the material treated andseparates the solution' therefrom. But, like most chemical .reactions, reaction- (1) is not complete. It proceeds to a certain state of equilibrium ollowing the'law of Quldberg and Waag.

I 0 for a given temperature in which equation,

.c, is t e concentration of the solution in HCl." c isthe concentration of the solution inC O,H ,K. c is the concentration of the solution in QiO H, of the solution in KCLQ la is, in these conditions, a constant. There results when equia is theconcentration librium is reestablished a solution containing the following bodies: V

1-101 c,o,H,K o 0,H, Kc1

'- A metal,iiron for example, is then added to the solution.

hydrochloric-acid, an acid stronger than tar; tame acid, with formation of chlorid of iron.

The presence of chlorid of iron in the solu-' sci The iron reacts with the results from this adisturban'ce in the chemicorresponding quantities of bitartrate of otassium, p If the solution is suitablylchosen, a moii't' sa i gpth t the' p nomenayvguld ethe same f onetreatedfiorj a sel-ma gnan of calciurn'inlieu O ar? ment arrives when the solution saturated with the bitartrateoi'potassium a bodylittle solublewhich begins then to precipitate.

.minium. It is not necessary that the metal should be pure, on the :contrary it has been found that the presence of foreign bodies in cantation or filtration. T e liquidseparated still containstartaric substances:insolutrbni can be extracted.

. i is to take part in the reaction. The electrobined 'with'that of electricity.

'- When the tartarous materialstreated concss described to this solution there will be rapidly and dircctly'obtaincd very pure 'partof the bitarll'ate -lo he collected sepa tion obtained being easy'to bleach and to cent hydrogen evolved in the decomposition lhe reaction ceases when the hydrochloric acid is too dilute to attack the iron which is used in. excess. ,One can arrange matters such that at the temperature employed all the hitartrate formed remains in solution. The solution can be filtered hot and the bitartrate be crystallized out on cooling.-

The processis carried out in the following manner: After having separated the solid residue the liquid obtained is treated with a metal. preferably iron, zinc or alu so that it should be kepefomrtamencin' further operation, whcrebythese roducts.

The reaction may berendered mole the hot or by passing through theliquid an electric current ofnsuitable strength and voltage. In this case'the electrodes, or the anode atleast', are made-of ;the metal which lytic actionp'roduced by the flow of the ca rent'favors the reaction and renders 1t more energetic; xThe-actlon ofheai: may be comtain adarge proportion of bitartratc of potassium and tartrate of limc,the bitartrate of potassium will be precipitated 'first,'mixcd with-a verysmall quantity of tar-trate of lime, and subscqaently,.onthe cont raryta-rtrate of lime with a' small amount of bitartrate 'of potassium.. This allows the major ratcly, then in tho-same apparatus, tho-re-v maining bitarlralc and also lhelartrate of li me which may be extracted from the product lreated. Whcn the process is applied to materials rich in bitarlrato, the process may be carried out in the cold with a: comparatively small quantity of'aci'dnlaled water, the solufilter. By subsequently applying the proc-" white -cream oftartar. Moreover the nasless products. .used, such as grape skins, a methodical washmg in the cold w1th an acid is capable of ployed;

"tratedsohitions' derivedfrom th complete and much more rapid by operating in of-the acid by the inetal'cxerts a reducing and bleaching action. This action which is particularly evident when sulfuric acid is used, favors the obtaining of pr rfectly color- Vhen poor materials are extracting all the tartaric constituents. On subsequently treating the solution by the process just described the bitartrate of potas- '5 sium and the tartrate of lime contained in these materials are easily extracted.

The carrying out of the present process involves very little expense'and the only substance which has to be renewed in. the 30 course of the operations is the metal which isattacked by the acidsolutionwith forma-i *tion' of: soluble salts/As has been stated any metal can be used and itis not necessary that it be pure; by using iron for example 5 the expense is reduced to a minimum; It is of advantage to carry out the process in the hot, in order to accelerate the reaction, particularly where iron "is the' metal: em

- For heating purposes waste industrial heat can be used and where this is not availsmall working with" Somewhat. iconcen;

f-rich" ateri s?'- r Y iThe'ia'pparatus necessary for carrying out this "process is of. extreme simplicity. The treatmenflmay be carried .outin ordinary vats or tubs,-preferably of wood, heated by 101 steam, and inwhich the metal plates-are immerse'd, connected if desired totheterminals of a source of electricity.- The precipitation ofthe tartaric salts takes place simultaneously on the sur aces of the vatgand on the 1o5 metal plates; it ill thus be necessary only to-clean these plates from time to time with brushes-or scrapers or by immersing them in hot water.

Having now described my i'nvention what I claim as new and desire to secure byLet- I ters Patent his 1. A process for the extraction of tartaric. salts from waste tartrous materials in which the materials are treated with a diluteininoral acid, the solution obtained brought into contact with a metal which reacts todccom-- pose the freeacid of the solution, and the deposit of tartaric salts formed, thereby rc moved by filtration or decantation.

2. A process for the eiitsaction of tartaric salts from waste tartrous materials, which the materials .are treated with a dilute'mincral acid, the solution obtained brought in the. hot into contact with a metal which refacts to decompose the free'acld'of'ithe 01' l tion,"..and the deposit of tartarie'saltstfor "ed thereby removed by filtration or aeeantaao 3. A proces for the-extraction oftartaric';

salts from was'tetartrous materials, in which weerthe materials are treated With a dilute mineral acid, the solution obtained subjected to electrolysis using electrodes of a metal which reacts to decompose the free acid of the soeral acid, the solution obtained subjected to simultaneous heating and electrolysis using electrodes of a metal which reacts to decompose the free acid of the solution, and the deposit of tartaric salts formed thereby removed by filtration or decantation.

5. A process for the extraction of tartaric salts from low grade tartrous materials, in which the materials are Washedin the cold with a small quantity of acidulated Water, the solution obtained brought into contact with a metal Which reacts to'decompose the free acid in the liquid, and the deposit of tartaric salt formed thereby removed by filtration or decantation.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGES VIGNEAUX. Witnesses:

H. C. Qoxn, MIGUEL Znnooo. 

